The Ghosts of Talverton Keep

“Worried about unexpected visitors? I promise, you invited me.” Jerome is at the doorway, still shirtless, with the two glasses of wine.

“More concerned about the storm.” You beckon him in. He sets the glasses down and in one smooth motion, takes you in his arms, unfurling kisses on your throat, pulling you down towards your bed.

You let him lay you back, as gentle as a feather while you play with his chest, tracing little circles with your fingers on his chest. His eyes catch the flickering firelight at an odd angle, lighting up, and his smile glints in the shadow. You feel his hardness pressing against you.

He starts to bunch up your skirts and you grope in his trousers for his cock. It jumps forward in your hand, the bulbous head still rock hard. You look him in the eyes and then slowly, agonizingly slowly, you trace your outer lips with his cock. He shudders above you, unable to look away, his whole body taut.

“Fuck.” He moans.

“Stay with me.” You say, your voices light as warm waves of pleasure fan out through your body. He groans in frustration as you reverse, gently sliding him up and down in little hidden patterns outside, never entering.

“From the moment you first arrive here, you’ve been horny, right? Really fired up.” You begin.

:”Yes.” He says, holding your gaze. You shiver, teasing yourself with him, rubbing your clit with his cock, his body suspended above you, but still. Holding your gaze. Never breaking from staring into you. “That is true.”

“And what have you done about it?” You ask, reaching up to run a hand through his hair, letting your breath come steady and rhythmic. “Have you fucked anyone here?”

He shakes his head. “No. Most days, I am grateful for my workshop. I can relieve myself there with few interruptions.”

“Is anyone else here fucking? From the outside world.” He shakes his head, slowly rocking his body in time with yours, not thrusting, just slowly grinding without penetration.

“Well there’s your problem.” You arch your back up, spreading your legs wide up into the air. You fold one leg around his slim hips and pull him in.

“Don’t you know that these worlds are powered by orgasms?” His eyes go wide as he slides inside you, his thick satisfying cock stretching you perfectly.

“Fu-fu-fuuuuck.” He keeps pressing down and in, seeming to swell inside you. Finally, after you are full to the brim, he bottoms out and holds it there. His eyes never leave yours.

“Tell me more.” He commands, grinding his hips against your clit in a way that leaves you breathless.

“These creatures, the aliens that inhabit the metal, they are powered by sex.” You explain, struggling to keep focused as he slowly, leisurely, pulls his way back out, stopping to flex inside you along the way. Your eyes are welling up from the sensation. You pull at him impatiently with your legs but he never waivers, gently beginning to push himself back in.

“They draw their life from it,” You are so wet, sopping as he bottoms out once again, grinding into you. “Fuck!” You shout in frustration, raking his back with your nails. This is becoming too much.

“It’s a need, a hunger – it’s seeping in through the walls of this world.” He sloshes into you, your sex clenching, building in waves as he thrusts aggressively.

“A hunger, yes!” He says, the bed creaking under the assault, his eyes wild with passion but never closed. He reaches down and works your clit sending you higher and higher. “A need!”

“That’s why . . .” you huff but are unable to finish your thought.

“OH GOD!” You shout, your voice ringing in the stone room. The orgasm seizes you, like a rogue wave, catching you off guard and hurtling through you. You throw your head back and arch your back off. He plunges in to the hilt and buries his face in neck, biting at your throat and squeezing your breasts.

“Aaghggnnn!” he cums in thick ropes deep within you, as everything comes in a gush. Your breath comes in gasps as you clutch him to your chest, your sweaty bodies mashed together.

He gives a deep, satisfied sigh, and then, in ragged breaths, you feel him nuzzle you, urging you over in the bed so he can pull the thick coverlet over you both, as the fire slowly fades to embers.

###

Knock knock. The morning light feels odd, but waking up in an unusual place always feels a little disorienting. You roll over, feeling the empty space in the bed. No sign of the good doctor – tastefully slipping out while you sleep.

Knock knock. The sound is slightly more determined this time. “Time to be up, miss Brenna.” Isla’s voice is firm for one so young.

“Alright, I’m up.” You answer, padding off to the bathroom, as Isla brings in a tray and some fresh clothing. You splash some water from the pitcher over your face and chest, noticing your shirt torn in a few unfortunate places.

“Oh! You really did get cut up a bit.” Isla says as you come out of the bathroom. Some of your scratches must have come open as you find a little blood on your fingers. She dabs at your neck with a cloth napkin while you make short work of the eggs, fruit and nuts that make up your breakfast.

“What do you think you will be doing today?” Isla asks. She gestures over to your bed where she’s laid out a fresh outfit. “Will I need my riding boots today?”

Your head is still a whirl from last night so you pull on the fresh cotton shirt, jerkin and riding skirt, but fend off a hair piece that Isla tries to install on your head.

“I’m going to head to the village and speak with Aileena,” Isla purses her lips to speak but you are already rushing ahead, “I need to see if their cleansing spell worked. If you must, I’ll meet up long before nightfall at the city well.”

“But Miss Brenna,” Isla begins as you start down the hallway, “the stables are that way!”

“Don’t worry about me, I just need to check on something.” You answer, already descending down the stairs to Jerome’s workshop. But a quick search in the dank, jumbled space proved fruitless, no sign of your amorous doctor.

You jog back up the steps and catch Isla pulling the sheets from your bed.

“Oh no, you don’t need to wash anything.” You say.

She jumps, guilty.

“Sorry miss, you got some blood on the sheets and I need to get it cleaned up.” She explains.

“Actually, I’m looking for Dr. Jerome Kerr.” You ask. She looks at you bemused. “Where could I find him? He’s not in his laboratory.”

“Well, I don’t see much of him. Most of the time he is working down there with his experiments and all, or meeting with Lady Josephine.” She points down the hallway.

“But if you go up those stairs two flights, his room is on the far east corner of the keep.”

“Thank you!” You hustle along the stone steps and come to his somber wooden door. You knock, the thuds feeling extra loud in the morning light but no sound returns from within. You try the doorknob, but it is locked. Peaking down at the bottom of the door, you see that someone has even sealed off the gap between the wood door and the stone floor.

“Jerome?” You call out, but no response. Finally, you shrug and head down to the stables to mount up and ride to the village.

###

Aileena is at her forge first thing in the morning, oiling her armor. She gives you a tense smile as you untangle yourself from the saddle and reach solid ground. She comes over and helps you tie up the reins on a nearby ring.

“So, did it work?” You blurt out. She shakes her head. .

“Yes and no.” Aileena begins. “There were a few that appeared during Caelan’s watch but they did not cross the circle.”

“That’s good!” You say.

“But, by the time I joined him, they had started to gather near the north side of the village, about fifteen of these apparitions, all pressing in at one spot. They rushed through all at once.”

She looked down and kicked the dirt. “Caelan was so brave, he pushed me out of the way. They seized him.” Her voice cracks.

“They held him fast as two more crawled into his mouth. It’s a dreadful thing, to be possessed by spirits. It does terrible things to you.”

She shudders. “Now he lies in his bed, hot with fever.”

“Oh no! Is there anything I can do to help?” Aileena pulls her armor on.

“The spirits inside him are fierce, and the longer they stay, the more harm they can do. I relieved some of their fever this morning,” she grimaces, “but he needs more than I can provide.”

“I’m headed into the woods to find the silver berry of the weeping vine. It should relieve his fever until the spirits pass.” She grabs her bow and shoulder bag.

“If you want to help you can either come with me and search or stay here and tend to Caelan.” She pauses for a moment and lowers her voice. “Although there is another way.” She looks around nervously. “You could speak to Nyree. She may be able to expel the spirits with her magicks. I would go myself but we are no longer speaking.”

“I’ve faced down my share of disagreeable witches,” you say. “Where can I find Nyree?”

Aileena wrinkles her nose.

“Well, you don’t lack for courage, I’ll give you that. Follow the river north, when you get to the giant fallen log, follow the estuary up the foothills, it leads to a fire pool where she likes to linger on cool mornings like this.”

“River to the Log, up the mountain, hot springs. Got it.” You answer.

Aileena gives you a curt nod and then sets off at a jog towards the tree line.

You wander along the grassy field between the village and the forest where Caelen, Aileena and you had cast the circle the day before, the dew illuminating the spiderwebs in the morning sun. Your skin feels prickly and painful as you squint into the light, cutting a swath towards the river.

CRUNCH. The usual swish of grass is interrupted by a heavy crunch, like crushing a handful of tortilla chips under a boot. Looking down, you see the grass here is scorched – a patch almost six feet wide has burned away. You reach down, a long blade of charred grass breaking away in your hand, crumbling to glassy flakes.

“What happened here?” You glance back towards the hut shared by Caelen and Aileena. You could make a quick stop to see how he is doing.

###

You hear his moans before you even reach the door. The whimpering, groaning of a suffering man. Pushing open the wooden door, you call out.

“Caelan? It’s me, Brenna.” The table and cook station are messy and unkempt. From the door on the far side of the room, you hear a hoarse voice.

“Brenna?” Caelan answers.

You cautiously make your way through the main chamber to the bedroom. Two spartan bunks are on opposite sides of the room with a small table next to one, and a simple wood dresser next to the other.

In the far bed, Caelen is bare chested, a white sheet tangled around his waist. He looks up at you, wild-eyed and in distress.

“Brenna! Thank god!” He moans again, his eyes screwed shut.

“I’m here, what do you need?” You ask. His body is covered in a thin layer of sweat.

“Please, you’ve got to help. Aileena, she did what she could but it’s . . . it’s too much.”

He moans and writhes in the bed, his skin flush and you see the problem. The thin blanket is tenting around his enormous erection, hard and throbbing, threatening to tear the sheet off the bed.

“The . . .spirits did this to you?” You ask incredulously. “Isn’t this something you can take care of yourself?”

He shakes his head angrily.

“How I wish I could – when I try . . . ” he reaches to pull back the blanket but his arm stops, suspended in air. He strains, trying to push, to brush the blanket and throbbing member beneath but the arm simply refuses to obey his command.

Then, like a jolt of lightning, his whole body goes rigid, and he lets out an anguished shout. After a moment’s spasm, he swallows, gingerly moving his limbs again but careful to avoid his midsection.

“They are cruel, these wicked spirits,” says Caelan. “They are here with me, savoring my frustration, my sensation. They feed on it. Please, help me!”

“Can I help you? Can I give you some relief?” You ask. His eyes are pleading.

“Yes, anything!” He cries out. You sit next to him on the bed, his hot chest pressing against your shoulder.

“It’s getting worse.” He mutters. “They are chewing on me, in my head. Eating me from the inside.”

Gently, you pull back the sheet, exposing his cock, thick and engorged. It looks angry, with a full head and leaking precum. You gently brush it with your fingertips and it jumps. You feel his body, muscles tensing and untensing.

“Don’t worry, I know what to do with this.” You say, soothingly.

You gently massage the head, wet and throbbing, before working your way down the shaft.

“Oh god.” he moans, as you slowly work a rhythm up and down, occasionally tugging on his balls as his hips start to rock in motion with your hand. He twists his head back and forth in ecstasy, completely at your mercy.

“There, there. I’ve got you.” You whisper in his ear, working his cock in a slow steady stroke, his precum oozing everywhere.

“Uhnnnnn.” You can tell he’s close, he’s groaning and twisting this way and that as you pick up speed. You plant kisses on his neck, but his eyes are squeezed tight, lost in the sensation.

“Let it go, let it all out . . .” you whisper, working his cock with one hand and pulling at his swollen balls with the other, building and building. He swells in your hand.

“Oh fuuuuck. Oh Seannnnnnn!!!” he moans and erupts, shooting hot ropes of cum all over your arm and the floor. It flows like a river over your hands and legs.

HISSSS. The air crackles and there is a rending twisting noise. Caelen arches his back, pulled upwards by an invisible force, pulling him free of you.. It smells like burnt electronics and for a moment, the world blips out of existence and you see a vast white expanse stretching around you in all directions. An empty void.

THUMP. His hips slam down on the bed, bruising your side and the world is solid again.

“Caelan?” He slumped over, breathing slow and deep. His body is covered in sheen of sweat, and copious amounts of cum, but his skin is no longer hot to the touch.

“No, no, no one saw me leave.” He mummers softly, distantly and then he is out.

You pull him back onto the bed, folding the sheet around him. He remains deep asleep. You see his veins pulsing in his neck and can swear you hear his heart thudding away, slow and deep, within his chest.

Well, at least he is resting. No chance of interrogating him about his sister . . .or Sean for that matter right now. You are tempted to touch yourself, relieve some of your own heat from the excitement but you fear that he will not last long in this state.

You take a moment to wash yourself up with a pail of water before heading out towards the river to find the Witch Nyree.

###

The river is fast moving and deep in the middle but at the edges, it lazily meanders over smooth stones. Crossing a wooden bridge, you make your along the river side, picking your path around the squat bushes.

The sun, now blazing and high in the sky, begins to bake your skin, making everything itchy and uncomfortable. Even in the heat, you pull up your hood to avoid its searing rays.

Finally, you come to a huge fallen tree, stretched out over the river like an imposing wall. Per Aileena’s instructions, you peel off, following a slim estuary up the foothills of the mountain. The path is steep going and you make several switchbacks before coming to a lookout.

From this vantage point, the whole valley stretches out before you. You can see the village, an awkward dozen of wood and stone buildings nestled between the wide bend of the river and the thick forest. You can see the road, beating a path to Talverton Keep, standing dark and ominous even in the midday sun.

Craning your neck, you can even trace the path of the road to where the well house is – obscured by the tall firs. Beyond it all, the high cliffs of the mountains, green and beautiful.

“Breathtaking, isn’t it?” You hear a woman’s voice from above you. You glance up but see only the telltale puff of steam from somewhere up the trail.

“The hike is worth it if you enjoy the view.” The voice is melodic, as if each word was underscored by softly chiming bells just on the edge of hearing.

You scurry up the rough cut path, pulling yourself around to the other side of a decent-sized boulder when you see the hot springs, pouring steam into the air. Standing in the middle of the pool, clad in only the glistening water, is a beautiful golden-eyed woman.

“. . . hello.” You manage to stutter. “Are you Nyree?”

“That is who I am here, in this place.” She answers.

HaHA! You knew it. The moment you heard the unreal tamber of her voice you knew something was up but now, seeing her lips out of sync, it is clear that she is being translated.

“What language are you speaking?” You ask.

“The language of my people.” She responds. “The ones from beyond.” She glides through the water, steaming droplets clinging perilously to her curves before regretfully returning to the pool.

“You remember my words on the sands of Anthestaria, you came to this place.” Her voice is enchanting, you feel yourself getting swept away just standing listening to her as she draws close.

“Do you remember me Brenna? When we made love in the train car beneath the City? Or when we held each other on the couch in your office?” She starts to reach for you. You put your hands up in protest.

“Hold up, how could that be you? If you are one of the beings from the meteorite, how could you be in the metal of the well house and the metal of Quilp’s city or in Kalchik’s hotel?” You ask.

She cocks her head, her eyes glittering and vast.

“Such a linear question. We simply are – and we are grateful.” You find yourself at the edge of the pool, her face unexpectedly close to yours.

“We are what you need us to be, Brenna.” It is odd, hearing but not hearing your own name.

“I think I am beginning to understand.” You answer. “When someone uses your metal, they give you a starting place but you form the world. You fill it with beautiful people and pull in ideas and stories from the people who enter.”

Nyree gently traces one wet finger up the side of your arm. You choose to allow it.

“It works for you because your people need sex.” Her eyes flare and you are suddenly aware of her heart beating very fast, her breath synchronizing with yours in an intoxicating way.

“It is the fuel to your fire – it gives you life and powers your world. Except, in this world, they created a bunch of sexually repressed catholic peasants. Hardly those that would inspire much romance.”

“It is not just sex,” says Nyree. “It is the passion for life. The gasp of a lover, the moan of satisfaction, the moment of release.” Before the words have left her lips, you knew it to be true. It wasn’t just about sex, it felt deeper, more real, inside these worlds.

Her lips look soft and you wonder, for a moment, what it would be like to kiss this beautiful naked woman before you.

“Usually there is someone inside with you, someone designed to keep everything running the way it should but there’s no maintenance minotaur here, is there?” Nyree shakes her head.

“That’s why everything is breaking, isn’t it? The monsters and the curses and the hauntings. It’s the world malfunctioning.” You say. Nyree begins to sway, raising her hands above her head.

“Your name is a sacred one amongst our people, Brenna, we know that you will heal this world.” The water from her fingertips catches the light like a cascade of shimmering diamonds.

“We all have a part to play.” She finishes.

“Then what is your part in this world, Nyree?” You ask. She gives you a smile.

“I am a witch, and you have sought me out for a cure. Rest your concerns, your friend will live. Instead of that, I offer you a trade. One gift for one act of service.” Her whole body gives a little tremor of pleasure at the word ‘service’ that makes your heart beat a little faster.

“Do I get to choose?” You ask. Nyree stares right through you, her golden-flecked eyes like kaleidoscopes in the steam.

“Don’t you always?” She asks.

Before you can answer with your voice, she nods.

“You will cure Lady Talverton of her addiction. The Timber Wolf has her in his jaws, it will take all your strength to free her.” Nyree cradles your face in her hands, the warm water dripping down on your chest and shirt.

“But first, a blessing for your body.” She leans in and plants the softest of kisses on your lips, barely brushing them.

“CURSED!” She shouts, jerking away from you, sloshing water everywhere. “Your body has been tainted!”

“Tainted? What – how?” You ask. Nyree has closed her eyes – her hair lifting around her, she seems to draw the world into herself, the water absorbing into her skin.

“The creature has tasted of your blood, but I will wash you clean. This will be my blessing.” She tilts your head back and water pours from her mouth into yours. You gulp, but no water enters your lungs. It flows down your throat and into your belly, diffusing through your body.

Tasted your blood? The howling birds? No . . . they never connected. There was something else . . . something just on the edge of your perception.

Nyree presses her body against you, her lips still sealed against yours. You dimly wonder about breathing, or anything else in the world but you are completely enraptured. The world is spinning.

You cup her breast with your hand and see black ichor dripping from your fingertips, pushed out by the clear glistening water flowing through your body.

Tainted. Cursed. Blood. Oh god!

The pieces all fall together. The blood on your sheets and on your neck this morning. The irritation of the sun on your skin. The dark workshop beneath the castle, the feeling of his teeth on your skin, his vanishing act before the morning light.

Dr. Jerome Kerr is a vampire!

Nyree breaks the kiss as the last droplets of black ooze away from your body.

“You are free from his curse. He has no more power over you.” She plants a soft, loving kiss on your lips. You fold into her, cupping her breast, the nipple already hardening in your hand.

“Thank you.” You say when you come up for air, hungry for more of her touch.

She dips her hand into the hot springs and pulls up a simple glass bottle, no bigger than your hand, filled with a shimmering gold liquid.

“This will expel the spirits from your friend but not alleviate the burdens he and his sister carry.” She says and slowly begins to back away into the water.

“Wait!” You cry out. “There’s so many questions I have, so many things. I want to be with you and do more and learn more!” She shakes her beautiful hair.

“You must carry out your act of service. Don’t worry Brenna, we will meet again on Callte Abhaile.” and with that, she submerges beneath the water.

###

The warm sun is now gently sloping towards the mountainside as you return to the village. You feel refreshed, pure, your muscles strong and renewed with each step. You feel ten pounds lighter and have to resist the urge to skip down the trail to the riverside.

The river bubbles along, splashing through its smooth stones and you see a fish snatch a bug out of the afternoon air. You wish you had time to sit for a moment, to skip a stone and soak in the moment but the vial of golden liquid in your hand requires delivery and you have an act of service to perform.

As you make your way back to the village, you look at the cure the witch had given you. Clear water with golden flakes. It’s been a long time since your college years but if you manage to cure a young man of a throbbing erection with goldschlager, well, that’s just a little too on the nose, isn’t it? You laugh wryly to yourself.

Crossing the heavy wooden bridge, you enter the village of Talverton and make your way towards Caelan’s house. You are not fifteen paces away when Isla intercepts you as you approach.

“He’s been calling out all morning. The spirits must be doing something terrible to him.” She says. “The others in the village won’t come near but they said that you were here earlier.”

You hear a wail, somewhere between a moan and a sob, and the house shudders.

“Stay here, after I’m done, we will want to make for the keep so we aren’t out after dark.” Isla nods.

“I’ll fetch the horses.” She says and is off towards the stables.

You open the door and are shocked by what you see.

You gently push open the door. Sitting at the table, Aileena sobs, her face in her hands, tears spilling out on the floor.

“Aileena? Am I too late?” She looks up, startled.

“Oh, Brenna! I’m sorry, I just . . .” she scrubs her face with her sleeves.

“Hey, it’s okay. I got the medicine from Nyree.”

“Really?!” Her face lights up. “She wouldn’t speak to me.” You shake your head.

“I had to make a deal but I’ve got what we need for Caelan.”

“Oh,” her face a mask of concern. “I hope she did not extort anything . . . unsavory..”

You shake your head.

“No, no. Just a favor. Here.” You pull the golden vial from your pocket. “This should banish the spirits.”

Aileena nods with red-rimmed eyes and the two of you enter the bedroom. Caelan is as he was, feverish, tossing in the bed, his large erection jutting out obscenely from the sheet.

Aileena eyes the vial warily. “What do we do with it?” You smile, remembering your time with Nyree.

“I think he just needs to drink it.” You stoop down and ease his mouth open, pouring the liquid in. He splutters briefly and then gulps it down.

“AAHHHHH!!!” He screams suddenly, his body lifting off the bed and floating briefly. Black smoke pours from his mouth and fingertips filling the room. You cough, waving the smoke from your eyes. The air bends and sizzles and your ears pop. The world feels tight and then the moment passes. When the smoke clears, Caelan is lying in the bed, eyes fluttering open weakly.

“Thank you.” He whispers softly before drifting back to his pillow. Aileena brushes a limp curl out of his face and leads you back to the other room.

The two of you sit in silence for a moment while she puts out some fruit to eat. Finally, you speak.

“I’m sorry you had to help Caelan earlier.” You say.

“What do you mean?” She says suspiciously.

“I stopped by before I met with Nyree and . . . helped him.” you say. Aileena’s lip trembles.

“I’m sorry you had to do that.” You repeat. Her eyes well up with tears.

“No, no. You don’t understand. You wouldn’t understand.” She turns away.

You put your hand on her shoulder lightly.

“I might, I’ve seen many things. I know how it can be to have to do something difficult.” You say.

Her tears are flowing but she ignores them, mouth tight and proud.

“It’s not that.” She finally says. “I didn’t mind touching him . . . like that. I just . . . I wish . . . I wish it was Maxwell instead!” She confesses in a rush.

“Maxwell?” You ask.

“My older brother. He was the light of my life. But a year ago, he went missing and I think it was my fault.” She picks at her plum.

“He and I . . . we were close. Closer than we should have. Others didn’t understand. Caelan . . . he definitely didn’t understand. But Maxwell and I . . . we were each other’s star and moon. We ran the forest together, following hidden paths, moving and breathing as one. When we become of age . . .well, he was kind, and gentle. Then one more morning . . . he went out into the woods and never came back.”

Aileena takes a deep breath. “This was a few months after Lady Josephine arrived and I was convinced she had something to do with it. I searched the forest, every fallen log and twisted tree. I demanded entrance to the keep but Lady Josephine wouldn’t hear of it. I even scoured the stables and swam underneath the bridge. Nothing.”

She gestures towards the bedroom. “Caelan thinks Maxwell ran off. Went to Edinburgh. But I knew he would never leave without telling me. Leaving me some sign.” She shakes her head.

“That was a year ago and since then, my bed has been empty. I have taken no lovers, nor spent an idle moment in contemplation of earthly pleasures . . . until Caelan needed me.”

She looks down ashamed. “I did what he needed, though I know my body is not the one he craves but the whole time I held him, and touched him, I kept praying he was Maxwell. God help me, in that moment, all I wanted was for him to be gone and for Maxwell to be in my bed again!” She lets out a muffled sob and dissolves into tears. You fold her into an embrace, pressing her wet face into your chest and holding her as the sadness flows through her like the dark river you crossed earlier today.

Finally, she finds her breath and you wipe her tears.

“Losing someone never really stops hurting but some days are harder than others, and that’s okay.” She nods, slowly, her arms still wrapped around you, your faces inches away.

“It’s been a hard year.” She whispers, her lips moving slowly, inexorably towards yours. The first kiss is tentative, salty with tears and cautious. The second one harder, faster as her tongue tangles with yours. She pulls at your hips, pressing her body into you as her kisses become more frantic,

She tangles her hands in your hair, pulling you into her.

“Earthly pleasures?” You ask.

“Shut up.” She says, kissing you again, pulling at your shirt impatiently.

KNOCK KNOCK. Both of you jump at the noise. Aileena ruefully fixes her clothes and goes to the door.

Isla is there, holding the reins to two brown mares.

“You have the worst timing.” You say, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Sorry, Miss Brenna, but the sun is getting low and we will have to ride hard to make the keep before nightfall.” Isla is anxious, shifting from one foot to another. You glance behind her, she’s not wrong. The sun is getting really low. You shoot Aileena an apologetic look.

“I’m sorry.” You say. Aileena offers a rare smile.

“Don’t be. I’ll think about what you said. And thank you Caelan.” She says.

“He can thank me himself when he is feeling better.” You reply and give her a wave.

###

Isla was right, you had to ride hard through the rising winds to get back to the keep, the last light of day turning the foothills into black silhouettes against an orange and purple sky. After a quick refresh in your bedroom, you plan your next stop.

“You actually met the witch of the woods?” Isla asks in an excited whisper. She had been eagerly plying you with questions on the ride back but the heavy horse hooves on stones made that impractical. You might be thrilled to be living out your Penny Dreadful experience but you were not going to be shouting about exorcisms as you rode through the rain to the gloomy castle. That seemed to be just tempting fate.

“Isla, help me out of this.” You ask, tugging on your skirt and shirt. “And I think Nyree is a water nymph, not a witch.”

Isla helps you out of your white cotton shirt. The cool air seeps in from the shutters and flows over your bare skin.

“Of course, really there could be some overlap there, in this world at least.” Isla looks at you agape. “This earthly plane of existence.” You fumble but Isla is staring, open mouthed at your chest. When you catch her eyes, she turns bright crimson and nearly drops the shirt.

“Yes. Sorry Miss Brenna, yes. I’m letting my thoughts wander. Silly thoughts.” She babbles as she helps unlace your skirt.

“I am sweaty from climbing up and down the mountain all day, you mentioned there are some baths in the keep?” You ask,

“Yes, miss Brenna.” Isla says. “Begging your pardon, yes, that’s why . . .” She shakes her head. “There’s a bathhouse on the second floor.” You wiggle your hips and slide the skirt off. Isla hops over to the table and quickly brings you a towel.

She reaches around and wraps the towel around your waist but you softly catch her hand as she finishes.

“Would you like to join me?” You ask.

“Me, miss?” She asks. She turns a brilliant shade of red all the way to her ears. Her mouth opens and shuts a few times as several excited sentences all try to escape at once.

“I . . . would like that very much.” She finally manages to say. “Go down the stairs to the second floor, turn right and down the hall.” She gives an excited little kick and scuttles from the room, calling out. “I will go start the fires and meet you there.”

###

The cold stonework of the keep had been overlaid with the warm polished cedar planks of a sauna. The thick steam left floated in the air, catching the flickering candlelight in endless swirls.

There were three, semi-connected pools interspersed with cauldrons of warmer water, washing clothes and pitchers, and even a couple of tables with lanterns to sit and converse.

Cautiously, you dip one toe in the bubbling water. It is the perfect temperature. Of course it is.

You ease into the water, disappearing up to your neck and gliding to a partially concealed nook of the baths.

It was odd. You feel as if you should be exhausted from the day – after all, you rode a horse a decent distance, climbed a mountain, bustling back and forth, hell, you even gave a hand job. You should be ready for a soak and a snooze but you feel more refreshed than ever. Filled with vigor and strength.

“Blessings of the body indeed.” You chuckle to yourself and stretch, catlike, in the steam and the gently bubbling water.

Bubbling? It must be tapped into the same hotsprings as you found on the mountain. These worlds are like beautiful tapestries, filled with interconnected wonders. Miracles, really. You shake your head.

Whole worlds of beauty and wonder.

The places could be crafted as healing temples, where people could face their fears or find closure with loved ones. They could be homes for the homeless. What if the solution to hunger and poverty for thousands could be found in a single briefcase or pocket watch.

And they use this alien miracle to pull hunks of metal out of the ground?

“Humans really are a crap species sometimes. Sorry everyone!” Your voice echoes in the bathhouse.

“Sorry about what?” Isla nervously pokes her head into the room, a grey cotton cloth wrapped tightly around her body. “Is everything to your liking miss?”

“This is amazing, Isla.” You gush.

“It is, isn’t it?” She says ruefully. You step half out of the water and wave her towards the alcove with you. She grins and scampers over to your corner, stealing furtive glances at your dripping body while trying not to trip on the boards.

“Thank you for coming.” You say warmly. “I’m really glad you came.” She blushes.

Emboldened, she drops the cloth, revealing her slim figure. Slender, long legs, narrow hips and pert little breasts. She catches you looking, gives you a giddy smile and plunges into the water, sidling up next to you, daring your legs to touch.

“Grace thinks you are Selkie, miss Brenna.” Grace was her aunt, you think. You lost track when she was telling you earlier. She plunges ahead.

“I said that was hogwash, you’ve got a crow on your chest and no self respecting sea creature would be consorting with a crow.” She shoots you a nervous look. “Begging your pardon.”

You laugh. “No no, I’m not a Selkie. Just a traveler that helps sometimes.” Her ankle brushes yours briefly, sending a thrill through your body. Intentional? Hard to tell.

“So tell me, what did you do to cure Caelen? I heard from Matthew. Well no, from Matthew’s cousin Dohnell, that you ripped apart the demon with your bare hands, just like you did at the gates of the castle last night. Is that what happened?”

You shake your head. “Hold up. Isla, you were there with me outside the castle. I didn’t rip apart any of the howling birds. It attacked me, remember?”

“Oh yes, miss Brenna, I remember. It was very exciting.” She says. Oh to be in that Saturn return again.

“I didn’t rip apart any demons.” You say. “Although there was some work with my hands.” Ah, maybe this is an opportunity for a little more research.

“Isla, can I ask you something rather personal? It’s okay if you don’t want to.” You ask.

“Oh please, miss, whatever you like. I feel very comfortable with you.” The flickering candlelight catches her wide eyes as she leans forward, water drops tracing their way down her neck.

“Tell me, do people in Talverton have lots of sex?” You ask.

“Oh my.” She says. “I think so . . . I mean . . . I wouldn’t really know.” She looks down, embarrassed.

“I haven’t really . . .been with a man.” She admits. You shake your head.

“Don’t worry about it, they aren’t always all they are cracked up to be.” You answer. She laughs.

“Known a few men then, eh?” She says, giving you a splash.

“Oh yes.” You answer truthfully. “Plenty of good, some lousy.”

She gives you a sly smile. “Just a traveler indeed. Every traveling merchant I knew had a girl in every town. Is that how it is with you?”

“A girl in every town? I’ve had a few of those too.” You admit. “And they were all good.”

Her eyes are shining in the light.

“Really?” She asks, hopeful. You feel yourself pulled to her, drawn in.

“Really.” You press your lips to hers, a fervent kiss of need and hunger. Her fingers intertwine with yours as she moans deep in her throat. She pulls on your hair, exploring your mouth with her tongue, sucking on your lips.

Your hands roam her body, caressing her small breasts and pulling her hips to yours.

“Oh miss Brenna!” She cries out, throwing a leg over yours. She arches up and buries your face in her chest, offering a pert nipple to your lips. You oblige her, letting her thrash about as you pull her whole breast into your mouth. She moans impatient.

Your hands, swirling in the water, trace along the inside of her hip bone and towards her hair sex but she pulls you up short.

“Please.” She pats the soft wood next to the pool where she is wading. “Hop up here.”

You sit and wrap your legs around her tall willowy figure. This leaves you perfectly eye-to-eye although in practice, lips to lips as she lingers on every kiss, unwilling to let you go.

You feel her hands on the inside of your thighs, gently pressing you apart. You cast about and snag her towel, using it to lean back from the pool as Isla plants one light kiss on the soft hollow of your thigh. Then another one, then another one, right in the sensitive inner leg. And then the softest of nips with her teeth.

“Oh fuck!” You moan, resisting the urge to grab her head. “Please . . .”

But it isn’t her lips you feel but the softest of finger tips, gently tracing a slow circle around your outer labia. You shudder, your breath already coming short in anticipation. Oh, the sensation is exquisite. Suddenly there is a second finger, deftly moving up and down the hood of your clit.

You moan, low and lusty, biting your lip as the waves build. Isla leans in and kisses you, capturing your lips as her fingers pick up the tempo down below.

“Oh god, oh fuck, oh FUCK!” you shout as she expertly fingers you, her hands moving in tandem, the rhythm building.

The wave builds and builds. You gasp into her mouth,

“Yes, yes” she breathes with you, eyes shut, shoulders heaving with yours. She works you faster, faster, faster . . .

“AAAGHHHHaaaaaaaa.. .” The world explodes behind your eyes as the orgasm jolts through from your sex to your curled toes and back. “Uggnnnnnn.” You groan obscenely as the aftershocks leave you trembling.

She withdraws her fingers and licks them, slowly and deliberately, and gives you a wicked grin.

“Yes, I do think we Talvertons like our sex a bit. Was that good enough? Can I be your girl in this village?” She gives you a saucy wink. You pull her in for a wet kiss.

“Absolutely.”

“Did I hear your voice Brenna?” You hear Dr. Jerome Kerr asking from the doorway. “I don’t want to be too bold, but if you are alone, I would like to join you.” You peak around the alcove and catch a glimpse of his bare shoulders.

Isla gives an alarmed squeak but you hush her quickly. You stealthily slide back into the water.

“He’s just going to come in here?” She whispers. “Unclothed?”

“I can handle Jerome.” You say nonchalant. Isla snatches her towel and pulls herself out of the water, giving you one more tantalizing view of her firm bottom in the flickering light. She makes for the back door, then skips back to you to give you one more kiss, full and passionate, before making her escape.

“Come on in, Jerome, I’m ready for you.” You answer, trying to quiet your pounding heart. Alone, in the hot steamy baths, with a vampire, what could go wrong?

You hear the sloshing of water and the steam parts like a curtain revealing Jerome, naked as best you can tell, gliding through the water towards you.

“I’m sorry to be so forward. I wouldn’t want to unduly burden our coworker relationship.” He says with a smile.

“Oh no.” You say, enjoying the visual feast. “Not a problem at all. Come in.”

He swims to the bench next to you, his eyes lingering on the shifting line where the water kisses your chest.

“So, have you completed the assignment? I would be heartbroken if you have solved the mystery and had to depart.” His eyes flashing in the darkness like a knife’s edge.

“There’s so much more I want to . . . learn from you.”

“You’re asking if I’ve cracked the case?” You answer coyly.

“What sort of consultant would I be if I gave you all the answers after only a few days of work?”

You shake your head and glide over to him, your fingers caressing his muscular shoulders.

“No, no, I think I need to do a little bit more field research.” He gives you a big grin.

“If it helps, I have been testing your theory.” He folds one arm around your waist, pulling you towards him.

“Oh?” You ask, debating whether or not to kiss him. Did he have sharp teeth? You can’t remember from last night. “What theory?”

“You said that the world is still growing, or perhaps cooling. And you are right.” He says. The warm water swirls around your bodies, rocking you slightly together.

“Initially, when I opened the wellhouse, I did a number of measurements on the total mass of this universe to see if I could quantify it. I was worried that by pulling too much raw material out of the world, it would upset things.”

His fingertips trace little circles on your lower back, sending marvelous thrills through your body.

“I had a theory that the world only extended so far – and if so, the world would have a very small mass, so tiny changes to that mass might be detectable using the Cavendish method.” He says.

“Careful there, grad student, I haven’t done the reading.” you pick yourself up and lightly rest your thighs on his impossibly long legs.

“My apologies, I promise not to give you any bad marks.” He gives you a smoldering look filled with unspoken promises and gently rocks his legs, inching you closer and closer to his body.

“Basically, I was dropping things and seeing if I could measure any difference in the torque of the spin of the earth. But my readings were erratic, in all directions, so I simply assumed my equipment was not sophisticated enough in this world to do what I needed.”

He gives you a gleeful grin.

“How wrong I was. It wasn’t erratic, it was growth spurts. The world is growing and expanding and contracting all at once.” His enthusiasm is infectious. “It’s like you said, it’s coral. The world is one giant coral reef of reality.”

“There you go, you have the title of your book. The Coral Reef of Reality, by Dr. Jerome Kerr.” His lips look so warm, so inviting. “I like the sound of that.”

“Me too.” He leans in and kisses you, hot and passionate. His hand finds your nipple, caressing your breast in a way that makes you moan into his mouth.

You break and shake your head. Trying to keep from being swept away. You feel his member, throbbing and hot, resting against your inner thigh. Fuck. That’s tempting. Focus.

“I missed you this morning.” You purr. “I came to find you at your room but you must have been asleep.”

He gives you a look of mock sincerity. “My apologies, human resources, I had a late night conference with a colleague.” you grabs a handful of your butt and gently rocks you forward, rubbing your sex against his leg in a slow rhythm. “I assure you, I will mark my hours properly on my timecard.”

“Have you always been a bit of a night owl?” You ask, tangling the little curls at the back of his hair in your fingers and swirling them in the water.

“A bit in my college years. Weren’t we all? You went to college, to your regional university right?” You kiss him, his lips warm and inviting. He rubs your back and the steam swirls around you.

“Yes, I went to college. Did a few late nighters, although more parties than projects.” He laughs.

“I hear that. I definitely had a few nights down at the pub with a glass of wine. The blokes and I, having a go at each other over something. Of course the wine at the pub can’t hold a candle to the stuff you get here.” He cranes his neck, trying to spot an idle pitcher on a nearby table.

“Wine like Friar James’ wine?” You ask. He looks at you through the steam.

“Why don’t you just ask the question you want to ask?” His stare is piercing. “Say it, are you a vampire?”

You feel him, his body pressing against yours, his muscular frame encircling your.

“Well, are you?” You ask.

He leans in, lightly nipping at your lips.

“I am, and it drives you absolutely wild.” He kisses you hard, his tongue working yours, his hands finding your nipples and pulling. His cock presses against the inside of your thigh, already feeling alarmingly large.

You scratch his back with your claws, grinding yourself against his cock lewdly.

“I’m going to need a few more details here.” You manage to gasp out. His hands work underneath the water, slowly brushing your lower lips.

“It started the first couple of full months I stayed here, in Talverton Keep.” His fingers feel marvelous.

You grope around for his cock, eager to return the favor. It’s thick like a flashlight. You form a loose “O” with your hand and starting at the base, starting working it up and down.

“I started staying up later and later. Feeling sick during the day and thriving down in my workshop in the dead of night. I figured I was simply allergic to something that was blossoming here but then the cravings. The hunger. I was so confused. But after my first little piglet, fresh from a farmer’s shed, it made much more sense.”

You shudder at the sudden thought but then he slides his middle finger inside you and rubs your clit from the inside. You gasp, mouth open. He captures your lips and kisses you.

“After that, the sudden unexpected strength and speed were a blessing in my work and by the time the bats moved into the workshop, it was downright comical. I fear that if I don’t start planning for my bed to be turned into a coffin, one may very well manifest itself in the next couple of weeks.”

He withdraws his hands and lifts you to standing position, following the cascading water down your chest to lay kisses on your throat and nipples and stomach.

He lays a gentle kiss at the top of your mons, just at the water line before making the return trip back to your lips.You catch his head with one hand as he approaches your throat. He gives you a rueful grin.

“Don’t worry about me. When I return through the well house, I am right as rain again. Good old Scottish boy. And on this side, well, I am easily sated with a little nip now and then.” His cock presses against your leg.

“So yes, I am a vampire, Brenna?” He turns you around, gently pressing your legs apart and positioning himself behind you. “Do you still want to fuck me?”

“Gods yes.” You moan and he slides inside you. You gasp as you feel the engorged crown of his penis push past your outer lips and rub that perfect spot inside.

“Don’t tease. Fuck!” You demand, pushing your hips back into him. He grabs your hips and pulls himself slowly out and then thrusts all the way back in, bottoming out inside you.

“AHH!” You moan as does it again and again. You are soaking, the water sloshing around you. You look back, his muscular body working into you, eyes closed, reveling in the sensation. The raw animal experience of sexual bliss.

You feel your own waves of pleasure building – all this stimulation had finally brought you to the brink. He picks up the pace, his supernatural stamina giving him a powerful rhythm with no sign of stopping. You work your clit with your hand only a moment and then scream as the first orgasm rips through you like lightning.

He doesn’t relent, working your hips, stretching you fully.

“Fuck Brenna, fuuuuuck.” He moans and you start tightening around him. His balls jump and his mouth opens in a wordless moan, setting you off again.

“UHghhhhnnnnnhhh.” Your cries mingle together as he erupts inside you, gobs of stick cum. He dumps a hot load inside you and then it is forced deeper as he continued to thrust, holding your hips to get as deep as he could while you came.

You give a triumphant cry as he releases his last sticky blast with a whole body spasm. To bring him to completion, fully and completely. You feel a surge of delight and pride. His softening cock slides out of you releasing a river of your shared excitement. You turn around and kiss him, open-mouthed and content. He caresses your breast and gently leads you to the underwater bench, pulling you into his laps for more kisses.

“Upon further reflection, I do not think this will be a barrier to our professional relationship.” and you punctuate the promise with a kiss.

###

It takes you a few tries to get back to your own room. After some kisses and playful wrestling, you manage to get out of the water, only to end up flat on your back on the wooden table. Your legs stretch up in the air as Jerome holds you steady, thrusting with wild abandon, his sharp fangs glistening in the candlelight.

The second time, his lust slated for the moment, you slip out quietly only to give in to your own randy second thoughts and end up riding him to your own screaming orgasm on the edge of the pool.

Eventually, you make your way back to your room and fall into a deep and satisfied slumber.

###

“Miss Brenna!” You hear an urgent whisper, somewhere, distantly, then soft lips on yours. The kiss is tender, but brief. “Out of bed, Miss Brenna, Lady Josephine wants to speak with you.”

Isla tugs on your leg and you sit up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. “I’m coming, I’m coming.” You stretch, feeling the chill Scottish air on your body as Isla whisks around your room, gathering clothing and setting up your breakfast.

“So, how did things go with the good doctor last night? Well, I presume?” She points out the number of soft bruises decorating your inner thighs and neck. You feel them self-consciously, no puncture wounds. Good.

“You would best be keeping this to yourself, Isla. No gossiping, you understand?” Isla blanches.

“Oh no, Miss Brenna, I would never.” She says, somewhat unconvincingly. You roll your eyes and dig into the breakfast with gusto.

“You said Lady Josephine was looking for me?” Isla nods.

“Oh yes, she was very insistent and demanded that I bring you to her as soon as you were up, Miss Brenna.” You pop the last of the pastry into your mouth.

“Well, I have been working for her for several days, I suppose a status report is reasonable.” You snag one last piece of fruit and then allow Isla to dress you for the day.

“Where shall I meet her?” You ask. Isla’s nimble fingers make sort work of the laces on the dress.

“Where she usually is in the mornings – in the library!”

###

The family library occupied an entire floor of the Keep – its catacombs of dusty shelves interlaced with little nooks where weathered old chairs were tucked next to drafty windows. Isla leads you to the center chamber, an open room with vaulted ceilings and a stone hearth. There is a beautiful wooden desk, a solid piece of deep chestnut hue with elaborate inlaid gold, piled high with illuminated manuscripts and heavy bound tombs. Beyond these precarious piles, you hear Lady Josephine’s voice call out.

“Thank you Isla, we will take some tea when you have it ready. You may go.” Isla mutters under her breath and scuttles off. You slowly approach the desk, peering between the piles to try and catch a glimpse of your host.

“Are you enjoying your stay at Talverton Keep?” Josephine materializes behind you, holding a thin brown covered volume. You jump a few inches in the air before recovering your dignity. She gives you a bemused look.

“Yes. You have a beautiful home here.” You say.

“Work site. Not a home. My ancestors’ home, maybe, but not mine.” She leans in conspiratorially. “I rather miss my Netflix, to be honest.” She gently places the book on the top of the pile and turns towards you.

“I understand that you have been busy during your stay here.” You nod, but she continues. “Good. I would expect nothing less for someone of your reputation. Selena does not suffer fools gladly.”

You try to keep worry from your face.

“So tell me, have you solved my ghost problem?” There it is again, deep within a woman of control and confidence, the slightest tremor of desperation. The faintest raising of the voice at the end of the sentence.

“Well, it is a little more complicated than just the Crith Eun or the hauntings at the village.” Josephine pulls up a chair and gestures for you take one near the fire.

“It has to do with the nature of the world you have created.” You begin. “The more time you spend here inside this world, the more it grows.”

“This world is expanding? Fantastic!” Her eyes are alight with the possibilities. “That means a larger workforce, or perhaps more resources brought to bear at the dig sight.”

You shake your head.

“It’s growing, but not just physically. To put it bluntly, it’s growing nightmares.”

She looks pale, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

“Nightmares – the hauntings I presume?”

“More than that. Witches, spirits, demons. Look, these worlds of the Lost Ones, they feed on . . . dreams.” You choose your words carefully, not wishing to offend her.

“I believe that the creatures that are part of this world, part of the metal that forms the well house, they soak up our myths. They live on superstitions, our beliefs and desires and they reflect those back to us.”

She looks very uneasy.

“Our desires – you are saying that these manifestations are based on our desires?” She looks furtively towards the pile of books behind you. “I’m not sure I agree with your hypothesis. If everything in this world is a reflection of us, then what do you make of these . . .”

She grabs a couple of books off the top of the pile.

“When we first arrived at Talverton Keep, I spent a few days perusing the library. Since this is a perfect time capsule, I was delighted to find several family manuscripts. Like this.” She flops open a smaller red bound book filled with dense scrawling handwritten script.

“My great great great great great great something George Talverton was an avid gardener, and here is his notes made over twenty seasons while he lived here at the keep. Fascinating from an anthropological perspective but perhaps not gripping reading.”

She springs up from her chair and leads you down a book-lined hallway where she indicates the second to highest shelf.

“This is where I found this book. When I checked back for a similar volume the next week, I found two more journals from good old George.” She pulls them out. “This ones detail his struggles with a strange white plant that only grows on the full moon, and this one,” she shakes her head. “Covers his exploration with a type of flower, an orchid I believe, that emits a pheromone, that creates vivid, erotic hallucinations.” She leans in and whispers. “I discovered too late that some of the pages were stuck together.”

She slides the books back where they had been. “At first I thought I had simply overlooked the two volumes in my initial search but that turned out not to be the case.” She leads you back to the central room of the library.

Isla is already pouring two cups of tea and setting out some cookies. Josephine thanks her politely and dismisses her. She carries off, catching your eye with a flirty glance on her way out the door.

Josephine points towards the pile of books on the desk. “All of these have appeared since I first arrived. They appear in the dead of night.”

“So what do the books have in common?” You ask. She gives you a coy smile.

“McCormac was focused on how the books got here. He wanted to do a stake out, as if we were to catch some spectral librarian putting them on the shelves, while Jerome wanted to weigh and measure the books to see if there was something different about them. But you and I understand, books are for reading.”

You nod, unsure of what to add.

“Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a common thread. I read each volume as they appear but some are non-fiction, some are fiction. Some are manuscripts, some are novels, some are notes and journals. Frankly, it is a hodgepodge.”

“Have you taken any of them out into the real world?” You ask. She shakes her head.

“Doesn’t work. I brought a few with me the first trip and when I opened them up at the warehouse, the words had turned to gibberish. I’ve talked to Jerome about it – he said that the well house was modified to allow for the ore to pass through, not books.”

She gives a heavy sigh. “So I’m left killing time here trying to see if I can find some other theme that connects them.”

“About Jerome,” you begin . . .

“He mentioned that you have had some sort of health trouble lately, can you tell me more about it?” You ask. She waves her hand dismissively.

“He worries too much about me, can’t have the boss sick at the worksite, can you?” She says nervously.

“So are you sick?”

“No. No, of course not.” She says. “I’m not . . . sick.” She has a curious light in her eyes and she gives you a piercing look, her gaze sweeping across your body. Your cheeks feel hot at the sudden attention. You decide to go for it. You reach out and take her hand, your cotton shirt dimpling, providing an ample view.

“You can tell me – I am here to help you with what you need.” You purr. She chews her lips, deciding.

“What the hell, you’re a woman, you’ll understand.” She says before giving a furtive glance around the room.

“It started a few months ago real time,” she begins. “We had finally gotten the time dilation stabilized so I began regularly spending a fortnite here at the castle. To establish a physical presence as their rightful liege.” She says gives you a sardonic smile as she sips her tea.

“It was another one of those cold, drafting Scottish nights. I had banked the fire in my bedroom, it was getting quite good at keeping the coals lit with a little practice, and I was in my nightgown.”

“I was just getting ready for bed when I heard the most dreadful sound.” She recalls.

“It was rather like a wolf’s howl, long and low, but full of such longing. Such yearning.” She shakes her head. “I must admit, it held me transfixed by the window – hoping to hear it again.”

“I waited for a moment, and then another, and just as I was ready to turn for the bed, I heard it again.”

“Oh, it was long and full, and most importantly, closer than before. I peered out into the darkness to see if I could catch a glimpse of this incredible beast.”

“By the distant torchlit of the outer walls, I saw him. At first a flash of silver fur in the darkness. Then the glint of teeth.” She stood up and walked to the mantle, staring blankly at the cold ash.

“As a girl, I remember stories of wolves out on the Moor, but the only wolf I’ve ever seen was an oversized lean-looking dog at a Zoo in Glasgow.” She explained. “But this was no wolf.”

“He was shaped like a man but he moved like a beast. I saw him, leaping the walls in a single breath. Sliding through the courtyard as a shadow.” She wraps on arm around herself, enveloped in the memory.

“By the time he scaled the wall, I knew he had seen me at the window. I recoiled, in fear. ‘Who or what was this creature?’, I asked myself. I tried to raise the alarm, to cry out for Sean or a servant, but my voice caught in my throat.” She reaches to her face. “I couldn’t utter a sound.”

“In a flash, he was there on my window sill. He was dressed as a man, muscular and handsome, but there was something inside him, something dark behind his eyes.”

“Without a sound, he slid the window open and stepped into the room. I finally was able to move, and I grabbed a weapon and held it to him.”

“He didn’t utter a word. He just knocked it aside like a stick and snatched my around the waist. He held me there, for a moment, his arm pinning me to him, just staring into my eyes.”

“‘Who are you?’ I asked, but he didn’t answer. He just leaned in and kissed me.” She touches her lips, remembering the feel.

“Was he good looking?” You ask. She gives you a stunned nod.

“10 out of 10. Toned, rugged. Even had some sexy scars on his chest.” She is blushing.

“So you got to see his chest?” You ask.

“Oh god yes. We made love . . . no, we fucked. We fucked for hours. He had me every way a man could have a woman, and a few extra just to be sure. When I awoke, he was gone.”

“At first, I struggled to explain it. Was it some randy village who climbed the walls for a chance with his Lady?” She shook her head. “It had been a while since I had been with a man. Or a person for that matter. Maybe I was just getting carried away by the romanticism of this place.”

“I returned to the real world, but often I found my thoughts straying back to this place. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t answer my email, everywhere I went I thought of the man with the wild mane of hair who had given me such a night of pleasure.”

She sits down in the chair across from you and leans in, confessing her secrets.

“But when I stayed here a few months later, he returned. As before, I heard his cries in the night and this time, I was ready for him. Oh, he didn’t need force this time but ravaged me he did and I was wet and willing.”

She gives a lusty sigh. “Oh Brenna, you know what it is like to be truly and epicly fucked?” You think of Michael in his hut.

“Oh yes.” You answer.

“Then you know. Each time, it is the most incredible experience of my life. But once he was gone, it was so much worse. I needed him, like a drink of water in a vast desert, I craved his touch.” She shakes her head.

“It wasn’t even this bad with my ex-wife. I’ve never been that into men, not opposed but not really my favorite flavor if you get my drift but there was something about him.” She trails off.

“I found myself staying longer and longer in Talverton Keep in hopes that he would climb in my window. But he only comes rarely, when the moon is near full and the wind is right.” She shakes her head. “I can only tell if I hear his voice, calling out in the night.”

“Does he ever speak?” You ask.

“Once. Two nights ago, he came to me but I stayed with him through to the end. As he slide from my embrace, he whispered in my ear,”

“‘More. I need more.’ was all he said and then he was gone.” She looks up with tears in her eyes. “I don’t know what else there is to give?”

You take her into your arms, her wet cheek resting on your shoulder, her firm body pressed against yours.

Finally, you get her sorted, brushing the hair from her face and sitting her down.

“Josephine, I promise you, right now, that this is going to be okay. You are going to be okay. The creature that you are experiencing is a manifestation of this world. And as ridiculous as it sounds, I believe that it has taken the form of some sort of werewolf. It does not need more from you, the creature needs more sexual energy as a whole to be sated.”

“Here’s what we need to do . . .”

You watch her closely, looking for signs of concern but seeing none.

“To draw in the beast, we need to light the fire.” You say.

“Well, my rabbit may fall to pieces in this world but I’ve spent plenty of nights here lighting my own fire, hoping he would come.” She admits, her cheeks turning rosy at the admission.

“In that case, we just need a bigger fire.” You say, holding her gaze. “If you want me help,” you finish.

“Oh!” She says. “Ah!” She laughs.

“When Jerome told me that you were married, I assumed . . . well, I should be the last one making assumptions.”

“I’m sorry if that’s too forward . . . I’m sure there’s some other way,” but she’s already shaking her head.

“Oh no, no not at all. I have to admit,” she swirls her tea, a coy smile playing on her lips. “You are actually exactly the sort of woman I would try to take to bed back in the real world.”

“I am?” You say with some surprise. She looks up and down, her eyes clinging to your chest.

“Oh yes.” She says simply. “Definitely my type.” She reaches over with her foot and gently caresses your calf.

“So tonight?” You ask.

“Tonight.”

###

You spend the better part of the day nervously checking in on your various people. Jerome had withdrawn to his workshop and was not to be disturbed. You rode to the village but Aileena was out hunting and Caelan was obviously feeling better as he was working his shift at the mine.

Isla peppered you with questions about the ghosts and the hauntings throughout the trip but you managed to mollify her by telling a medieval girl friendly version of your adventures in the well beneath the world.

Finally, night had fallen and the moon, fat and silver, had crested the valley, pouring its eerie light over the keep.

You had bathed and wore a simple cotton shift underneath an evening robe as you made your way to the top of the castle where Josephine’s master bedroom awaited.

You knock on the wood door, trying to quiet the butterflies in your stomach. Josephine eases the door open, clad in a long black dress, and swiftly beckons you inside.

“I feel like I’m back at college and you’re my drug dealer.” She says in a hushed whisper.

“Considering the pull this creature has over you, that’s not far off.” You remark.

“Oh no, this is going to be way more fun than drugs.” She offers you a glass of wine which you gratefully accept. It tastes faintly of black cherries and oak, the tannins warming your mouth and causing your pulse to race.

She stretches out on the bed, her dark curls fanning out around her, her long legs splayed out. The window is open, an invitation, and the moonlight streams in.

“Do you think he’s listening?” She asks. “Do you think he’s out there in the woods?”

“I hope so.” You say. She throws back the rest of her drink, weighing you with her eyes.

“Is this a usual part of your work, Brenna? Seducing your employer?” You laugh.

“It does come up occasionally, you can’t work with sex-starved aliens without having to feed them once and while.” You smile.

“I warn you, I tend to be pretty voracious, especially with a sweet thing like yourself.” She says, a hungry look on her face.

She gets up and then slowly turns away from you. She pulls up her hair and carefully unhooks the top of her dress. You dare not move, held still by the vision before you as the dress slowly, inch by inch, slides from her shoulder and down her sides.

You find the will to move, and she leans back into you, finding your lips and tasting them leisurely.

Her skin feels hot to your touch, your hand find the smoothness of your belly as the dress falls to the ground, leaving her naked before you.

She kisses your neck hotly, pulling the robe from your shoulders.

You respond in kind, kissing her hard and pushing her back onto her bed.

She falls back, her body glowing in the moonlight. Her full breasts topped with aroused dark nipples, her narrow farm flaring at the hips, the dark patch of hair between her legs, she looks up at you, her eyes full of lust.

You crawl onto the bed with her, plying her with kisses while your limbs become intertwined.

She throws a leg over you and grinds her body into yours, hungry for more, but you will not be rushed. You want to enjoy this.

You gently push her back on the bed, tracing her curves with your finger tips. She gasps when you graze her nipples, back arching with sensation.

“Pull them.” She whispers and she moans as you roll the erect nipples between your fingers. You play with them for a moment, working one, then the other as she gets more and more heated. Finally, you start tracing your way down, down, down across her belly towards her sex.

Impatient, she pulls at the neck of your shift, loosening the laces enough for her pull free one of your breasts which she greedily suckles.

“AAH!!!” She cries out as your fingers find her sopping wet slit. Her clit is hard, and erect, her sex already gushing. You rub the hood lightly and she bucks her hips.

You disentangle your chest from her, gently pushing her back down to the bed as you descend between her legs. You lick, tentative, around her outer lips and she gives you a full body moan of encouragement.

Using your fingers, you gently press into Josephine, finding the rough spot just inside her where the clitoris can be reached. You roll it, setting up a steady rhythm as you suck her clit into your mouth.

“Oh fuck.” Her eyes roll back and she balls the sheets with her hands. “Oh fuckfuckfuckfuck.” You work her clit with the tip of your tongue, pushing it this way and that. She wraps her legs around and pulls you to her, twisting this way and that as the pleasure builds.

You hand is soaked, you can feel her tensing around you, the orgasm building but you do not relent. You suck her clit into your mouth, working it like a tiny cock, grinding your face into her sex faster and faster. The pressure builds and builds and then you feel her whole body clench around your hand.

“AAHHHH!!!!” She screams, hips leaping off the bed as you desperately hold on as she shudder through her first and second orgasm. Finally, she collapses back down, the tremors still sending little jolts through her legs.

“AAAOOOOoooooooooo!” It is low and deep and at first you thought it was an echo of Josephine’s own cries. But no, this was something different. Something feral.

Something masculine.

Josephine raises her head, her hair a sweaty mess.

“He’s coming!” She says in delight.

Your heart races as you stand and straighten your shift. You hear the softest of footfalls on the window sill, and there, silhouetted in the moonlight, is the man.

He’s dressed, though his simple clothes are worn to threads. He crouches there for a moment and his eyes glow yellow in the reflected candlelight. You don’t flinch, though the pounding of your heart and the adrenaline pumping through your veins begs to differ.

He tilts his head to the right and gives you a predatory grin. His features are solidly built and there’s something familiar about that face. Very familiar. Did you know him in another world? No, that’s not it.

Springing effortlessly onto the stones floor, he takes a few tentative steps forward, his eyes never leaving yours.

“Who?” His voice is deep and gravelly. You like it, suppressing a little shiver. Josephine, still splayed on the bed, calls to him in a sing-song voice.

“You wanted more. She is definitely more.” He flashes his teeth, drinking you in with a look. You feel Josephine’s touch upon your shoulder, one leg of hers folding around yours from behind, holding you in place.

In two steps, he closes the distance until he stands inches from your face, his body held taut never once touching yours.

He sniffs, and you feel the cool air from the open window run its fingers up your shift.

“Isn’t she delicious?” Josephine purrs behind you, her hand finding your breast, caressing it through the fabric. You take a deep breath, finding your courage.

“Good evening” You say, praying your voice doesn’t shake. “Can I help you?” He’s just a manifestation of this world’s frustration, you remind yourself. You know what he wants. You reach out and lightly stroke him through his breeches.

Suddenly, he seizes your shoulders and kisses you, forcefully, domineering, his sap stained clothes pressing into you.Oh, this is divine. So raw, so controlling. With a jerk, he pulls you back and then grasps the neck of your shift with both hands and tears it open, baring your breasts to the night air.

“Oh fuck.” You gasp as he sucks your entire breast into his mouth, hands kneading your butt.

Dimly, you feel Josephine pulling the shreds of your shift away from your body but you are lost in a world of sensation, you pull his head into your chest. This is good. Finally, he throws you back on the bed as Josephine goes to work on his coat and breeches, pulling them free revealing a thick, large cock.

She gives it a few loving strokes but he pushes her aside and crawls onto the bed towards you.

“Now hold on,” you say but he pins you with one arm, and with the other, starts furiously stroking your clit.

Already fired up from your time with Josephine, his deft fingerwork sends waves of pleasure through your body. You arch your back. Fuck, this is moving faster than you expected.

“Do it.” Josephine whispers somewhere above you. “Fuck her.” You are grinding yourself into the palm of his hand as he moves faster and faster. Yes, yes, yes, right there! Josephine grabs your breasts, as he pulls himself up, looming over you.

He gives you a lopsided grin and lines his swollen cock up with your slit. You are wet and ready for him. He slowly pushes himself inside you.

You moan, loudly and lewdly as he eases into your narrow valley. You feel his muscular arms on either side of you, his eyes closed tight, relishing the sensations. Josephine pulls at your nipples, making you gasp.

He finally bottoms out, his dense pubes grinding against you as he feels you completely. You feel your first orgasm, low and deep, rocket through your pelvis as you clamp down on him.

“More.” He moans, stroking in and out. His eyes hold yours and for a moment, you see a glimmer of humanity. Something behind those blue-green eyes looks . . .grateful?

And then Josephine’s lips are on yours, urgent, tongues tangling. Her slender fingers slide down your chest to where your body and the man’s are mashing together. With wicked ease, she strums your clit as you feel him swell inside of you and your world explodes in gasping flashes.

As soon as the stars clear from your vision, you can see his face, determined. He slides out of you, leaving you gasping and in one powerful shove, flips you over on your face.

You push your butt up in the air, but feel Josephine’s hands at work, tracing your lower lips and rubbing between your cheeks. Then his hands, pulling your ass towards him and the full head pressing against your hole.

With slow steady pressure, he slides into you. Just the head, and then the thick shaft, pressing deeper. Josephine gives his butt a slap and he slides in the last inch, letting out a startled gasp as he is fully inside you.

Oh gods, to be so full, stretched. He moves inside you and the world spins. He’s moaning now, wordless, beyond reason, just pure pleasure and you can tell he won’t last long. His hips slap against yours, you pushing off the bed into him.

Josephine climbs onto the sheets in front of you and spreads her legs, offering you her wet cunt.

“Lick me, Brenna, make me cum!” She demands and despite the crescendo building behind you, lower your face to her wet slit. She writhes before you, already close. You suck her clit into your mouth and she clamps her legs around your head.

“AHHHhhhh!”

“Uggnnnn!!!”

Their cries rise together, calling as one as he starts shooting hot ropes of cum while she reaches her peak, soaking your face in a gush. He gives you one more powerful thrust and the two of you slide forward onto the bed, pinned beneath his sweaty body and her still quivering legs.

He slides out of your ass with a plop but to your surprise, he is still hard as iron.

“Almost,” he says, his voice tight. You push him back onto the bed and throw a leg over his. This you can handle. With one hand on his chest, you sink down on his cock.

He groans with pleasure, reaching up to cup your breasts. You rock your hips, slowly, masterfully, squeezing him from the inside. He gasps at all the right moments as you go faster and faster. He looks up at you with pure adulation, in awe of the goddess radiating pleasure throughout his body. But your goal is not continuation, but completion.

You pick up the pace, fucking him into the bed. Josephine appears at your side, pressing her full breasts into you and pulling at his ball sack beneath your butt.

He gives a startled grunt and you feel him swelling inside you.

You lean in,

“Let yourself go. Give it all to me.” You whisper, biting his ear and pulling on his hair. You clench and he cums in a heaving gasp, bucking your hips off the bed and tumbling Josephine to the ground.

You feel a gush inside you as his balls clench and empty load after load into your pussy. You squeeze him from within, milking every last sensual drop as you press your head to his muscular chest.

Finally, he softens, sliding out of you in a gush of your collective excitement. You sit up and find him, clear-eyed and looking at you with wonder. That face is very familiar but you just can’t put your finger on it.

“Thank you.” He says finally. Josephine pops her head up.

“What? Thank you?” She says sharply. “First real words he says are ‘thank you’?”

He turns to her. “Thank you too, Josephine. Our nights together kept my hopes alive but you,” his gaze is very intense and even in the post-orgasmic glow, it holds power.

“You helped set me free.” He says simply. He leans in and gives you the softest, most loving kiss on your lips.

You blush.

“You are welcome. Happy .. happy to help.” You say awkwardly, still dripping wet from the sex and entangled with his body.

“I don’t even know your name,” you say. “Let’s start there?”

He smiles.

“My name is Maxwell.”

###

You feel movement in the room. By the dying embers of the fire, you can see the enormous bulk of a man next to you, face down into the bed. Squinting, you see Josephine, silhouetted by the stars at the window, a lit cigarette briefly illuminating her face as she takes a drag.

Pulling yourself up from the sheets, you pad your way over to her.

“Here.” She hands you her cigarette despite your protestations so that she can fetch a thick robe from a wardrobe in the corner. You accept it gratefully as she takes another drag.

“I suppose I should thank you.” She says finally. She glances back at the nude figure in her bed.

“He wasn’t the only one we cured tonight. I don’t feel it anymore – that gnawing at my bones, the . . . need to be with him, to have him inside me. It’s gone. Like a wave rolling out to sea.” She taps the ash out the window.

She turns to you, her eyes wet. “And now, all I can think about is will I ever want something that much again?”

You fold her into an embrace and her lips find yours, salty with her kisses.

“It’s going to be alright.” You whisper, her forehead to yours. “Love will find you – it always does.” She nods, unwilling to trust her voice, and then gives a little laugh.

“Forget love, how about a decent fucking?”

“That was pretty good, wasn’t it?” You answer.

“If sex with men was this good in the real world, I’d reset my tinder profile.” She slides an arm around your waist as you stare out into the starry night.

“I suppose it’s not good form to be this emotionally vulnerable with my contractors, is it?” She says.

“Don’t worry, I signed a non-disclosure agreement.” You reply. The two of you share a moment, just swaying softly together at the window.

“I suppose we have to return him to the village tomorrow, now that he knows who he is.” Josephine says, glancing back at Maxwell, his shoulders moving slightly with his rumbling breaths.

“I’ll take care of it.” You say.

“Thank you. Does he have a family? I wouldn’t even know what to say. Oh god, does he have a wife?” She covers her hands with her face. “Sorry miss, yes, I was taking my sovereign rights as your liege with your husband.” You laugh.

“No wife, but it would be awkward. I’ll take him back in the morning.”

“Thank you Brenna.” She peers out the window to find the moon.

“It looks like we’ve got a good four more hours before daybreak, would you like to stay the rest of the night here?”

You shake your head. “No, I should get some actual sleep. Send him down to the stables in the morning and I’ll take him to the village.” You consider for a moment.

“And that does give you one last chance with him in the morning, if you like.” Josephine shakes her head.

“How could I top what we just had? It wouldn’t be the same without you there. No, it is better this way.” She leans in and steals one more kiss.

“Sleep well Brenna, and thank you.”

###

“No, I forbid it.” Isla has you pinned underneath a sheet. “I’m not letting you up until you tell me what happened.”

“It was sexy and it was secret and I won’t tell you a thing until you kiss me.” You tease her back.

“Oh you make such a compelling case, how could i resist such an offer?” She leans in and kisses you, soft and teasing, and then yanks the sheet from your chest. You give her a scream and a big grin.

“I see marks on your chest, do you lay with Lady Josephine?” You laugh and clobber Isla with a pillow, dancing over to the table to scoop up your breakfast.

“Oh! I see someone appreciated your bum as well. Those look like hand prints!” You wiggle your butt and survey the clothes. Thankfully she had brought a fresh shift after your previous one got destroyed.

“I’m headed to the village this morning – but I don’t think we will need to stay too long. We are returning a lost friend.”

You stare wistfully out the window as Isla’s skillful hands helped secure your riding skirts. The morning sun was pouring thick golden light over the deep green forest and the rolling fields of purple heather. This has been a lovely diversion, but you fear it may be drawing to a close soon.

Isla wraps her arms around you, her soft lips pressing against your neck. “Was there a man with you? I heard from Elias in the kitchens that Lady Josephine keeps a man locked away with her.”

You whirl around and run your hands up and down her sides, she dissolves in a fit of laughter.

“You ferocious inquisitor, I’ll never reveal my secrets.” You give her an affectionate kiss and then the two of you make your way down the stone steps to where Maxwell awaits.

###

KNOCK KNOCK. You rap gently at Aileena and Caelan’s door. Maxwell hangs back with the horses, awkwardly shifting from one foot to another. You give him an encouraging smile.

“Hang it, I’m coming.” You hear from within and a shuffling of feet. The door opens, Aileena stands in a rumpled shift, clearly roused from a deep slumber.

“I was up late laying traps . . . ” she trails off, her jaw falling open.

“Hey sis.” Maxwell says.

“What . . . how . . .” she begins and then pushes past you, jumping up into his arms with a big hug.

“It’s good to be home.” He says simply.

“CAELAN! GET OUT HERE!” Aileena shouts and after a moment, Caelan comes shuffling around the side of the house from the chicken coup.

“God . . .” he says as Aileena and Maxwell fold him into the family embrace. You politely withdraw as the three of them babble over each other in tear-soaked expressions of love.

Isla hands you the reins to your horse.

“You really are a miracle worker.” Isla says. “Where to next?”

You consider your options, mentally pulling up a numbered list in your head.

“I would like to Jerome again and . . . uh . . . see how his experiments are doing, but I should probably visit the mines . . .”

CRACK! A gunshot rings out over the valley, sending up a flight of birds near the well house.

A gunshot? Oh hell, that can’t be good. Wait, how long had you been in this world – five days? That’s a full twenty-four hours on the outside – Maurie must have decided to make her move!

“Ilsa, we need to get to the well house and fast!” With surprising grace, you swing up onto the horse and the two of you ride through town, flying down the cobblestone streets and up the path towards the road.

You race along the stone path, Isla keeping pace with you as you reach the fork in the road. Behind you, you can hear some uproar from the village but you pay it no mind, your focus is on the gunshot. Looking back to the keep, you can barely make out the guards on horseback herding a group of people in through the gate.

“That’s not good. We need to hurry.”

By the time you make it to the castle gates, the entourage has already been ushered inside.

“Let us in Monro!” Isla shouts to the guard.

“Hold on, there’s a riot brewing at the village.” He replies snottily. “How do we know you’re not rioters?”

“Fuck off and open the bloody gate!” Isla shouts.

“Keep your knickers on.” He grumbles, the door groaning. The two of you slide inside and quickly stable your horses. Before you can make any more progress, Sean McCormac is at your side with two stocky men in chainmail.

“Brenna, I need you to come with me.” He says, his face all business.

“Yeah, I figured.” You say. They escort you into the Keep, moving swiftly along the stone staircases before delivering you to the dining hall.

Inside, it is a scene of absolute chaos. Maurie, Agent Pitts and two other men are in tattered suits standing in the middle of the room. Josephine is pacing back and forth from the window, back to Jerome who is stationed in the corner with a scroll of paper and a quill.

Maurie gives you a relieved look and opens her mouth to say something but Josephine is already barreling ahead.

“Well, this is a fine mess we are in.” She says.

“Josephine, the workers at the mine have walked off the job and last I saw, were making their way here.” says Sean.

“Fuck. Of course they are.” Josephine starts rattling off orders. “We need to lock this place down. McCormac, secure the gates, make sure we’ve got at least one of our people there at all times so no one let’s them in the back door, but for god’s sake, tell them to hold their fire. We’ve already got enough bodies on our hands.”

McCormac gives an affirmative grunt and disappears out the door.

“Bodies?” You ask.

“Yeah, sorry babe,” Maurie gives you a little sheepish grin. “I got all heroic and decided to stage a daring rescue.”

“Awww, that’s so sweet.” You say.

“Don’t go thinking I’m a romantic or something. Standard procedure.” She says, her shoulder pad giving out with a dramatic rip. Agent Pitts gives an amused snort.

“Um, could someone please explain to me why our clothes seem to be falling apart?” Pitts inquires. Jerome jumps in,

“Yes, actually, that’s a function of the underlying principle of conservation . . .”

“Shut it Jerome!” Josephine barks, pouring herself a glass of wine. “Jesus, can we secure this room at least? Someone get Isla out of here!”

Isla gives a startled yeep and then scuttles from the room. Jerome closes the door after her.

“Fuck. I really liked you Brenna but working with the FBI?!”

“I know!” Jerome says excitedly. “World hoping portal consultant AND a sexy spy for the FBI?”

“Shut the fuck up Jerome!” Josephine says. “Do something useful and go grab Colin or McCormac. We need to strategize here.”

“We’ve got some time in here but not much.” Josephine swoops in front of Maurie.

“Please tell me you didn’t kill any real people.” Maurie raises her eyebrows.

“You mean in the real world? No, we just winged your security man.” The seems on Maurie pants have begun to unravel so she’s left holding them with her hands.

“Campbell?” Josephine asks. Agent Pitts nods.

“Well, that’s workable. This could just be a big misunderstanding. We can make this work.” She says.

“Ms. Talverson, you are in violation of international smuggling laws, illegal mining operations and probably half a dozen labor laws as well. By the charter of the European Union, I must ask you to surrender to our custody . . .” Agent Pitts begins but Josephine waves him off.

“Yes, yes, I’ve broken all sorts of laws, but we are in a brand new field here. That’s something for the lawyers to figure out – as long as no one has died.”

“I mean, there were some casualties at the wellhouse on the way in. At least before our guns stopped working.” Maurie admits.

“They don’t count. They aren’t people. They are just functions of this world, no different than the trees or rocks.” Josephine says dismissively.

Jerome returns with a tall, muscular man strapped with a large sword and a firm scowl.

“Bad news boss. There is a heavily armed crowd at the gates and they want blood. They are led by a large man calling himself ‘Maxwell the Hunter’?”

Josephine downs the glass of wine in one gulp.

“Of course they are. FUCK! Okay, Colin, go out there and tell them that if they don’t disperse we will personally hunt down and kill every single child in the village. In front of them. Just throw them all in the river.”

“No!” You shout. She gives you an exasperated look.

“They aren’t real Brenna. And besides, you are as much to blame for this as anyone, since you fucked Maxwell back to life.” Josephine says.

Maurie shoots you a jealous look.

“Oh really?” She says, voice dripping with venom.

“Colin, go.” She says as McCormac returns, his arm bleeding slightly from what looks like an arrow wound.

“I appreciate that there is a bit of a crisis going on here, but could we maybe get some clothes?” asks Agent Pitts, his suit sloughing off revealing his pale chest.

“Riot first. I’m putting you all in the whispering caves until I know what to do with you.” She says dismissively. “And yes, someone find them some feed bags or something to wear . . . ” her gaze pauses as she drinks in Maurie’s now bare legs and shoulders.

“But not too many clothes. I like the view.”

“Okay, come with me.” Jerome begins.

“Not you Jerome, I know you and Brenna have been fucking.” She says, “McCormac can take them.”

“Oh, that guy too?” Maurie asks as you are all herded down the stairs.

###

The Whispering Caves, as you explain in hushed tones, is a series of interconnected caves directly underneath the Keep, hollowed out by the roaring river that runs throughout the cave system. The builders of the keep made a narrow pathway connecting the stairs to the cave system (complete with a rickety bannister and metal gate).

“This is amazing!” Maurie says as the guard locks the gate. Agent Pitts is distributing the mismatched pile of shirts, sheets, bags and random other linens to try and cobble together outfits.

“It gets weirder.” You answer. “Listen.” The two of you fall silent and over the rushing water of the river, you hear it, the warbling of wind through tiny holes in the cave.

“What is that?” Maurie says.

“That’s the whispering caves. Isla said that if you come down here at night, and light a candle, you can hear the name of your true love whispered by your ancestors.” You think for a moment.

“And considering the way this world is going, she’s probably right.”

“Maurie, look . . .” you begin to explain but she cuts you off with a finger to your lips, shooting a meaningful look over her shoulder to her coworkers.

“I’m not pissed. Well, I’m a little pissed but I’m not surprised. Mostly, I’m just happy you are alive.” You nod.

“So is it just me or does this castle look way spookier than was advertised?” She asks.

“Oh you have no idea. Just wait till I tell you about the howling birds.”

“Howling birds?” She asks. Over the din of the river, here a shudder and some rocks shake loose from the stalagmites above.

“But we can talk about that later, we need to get out of here before things get too ugly.”

“Well, I’m open to ideas.” Maurie says. “Maybe farther into these caves, there’s a way out?”

You shake your head.

“I’ve got a plan.” You say.

You squat near the corner of the cave, next to a pole of river water, it’s surface catching the flickering torchlight and reflecting back your tumbled mess of hair.

“Nyree – witch of the woods, blessed water nymph of these rivers, I call to you. I call to you in my hour of need, come forth, you are needed and wish to bargain.”

You see a glimpse of her glittering golden eyes reflected back at you and the crown of her hair, and whoosh!

Dripping wet as she pulls herself up out of the puddle and into the cave with you.

She stands, soaking wet and naked, in the caves utterly unconcerned for her surroundings.

“What the hell?!” One of the other agents draws his firearm but the handle breaks off in his hands.

“Daaamn.” says Maurie. Agent Pitts and the other agents are watching with keen interest from the other side of the enclosure.

Nyree glances around, somewhat bemused.

“You wish me to free you from this place?” She asks.

“Yes, can you do that?”

“It is within my power.” Her voice is ethereal, echoing on the cavern walls and coming back to you in fragments. “My price is this – a boon.”

“A what?” Maurie asks.

“A favor, right? But you don’t need to name it right now. It’s a favor at some future point.” You say. Nyree nods, her eyes never leaving yours.

“I accept.”

“Then call to one of the men and I will free you.” Her voice is low and sultry, and for a moment, all you want to do is be near her and listen but you shake your head. Focus.

You go to the bars of the gate.

“Sean McCormac! MCCORMAC! I’ve got something for you!” Your voice echoes through the chamber. A man pokes his head around the corner.

“Hey, you! Go and fetch Sean McCormac, he’s needed now!” The man grimaces but vanishes around the corner.

As you wait, Nyree dripping next to you, the agents muttering to themselves in the corner, Maurie gives you an elbow to the ribs.

“So how’d did you meet puddle girl?” Maurie asks.

“We exchanged fluids so that I could cure her of the night’s curse.” Nyree responds in her lilting voice. Maurie’s eyebrows climb higher than you thought possible.

“It’s not . . . I mean . . .uh . . .” you flounder.

“What the devil do you want?” Sean McCormac strides along the walkway, staying a good distance from the bars.

“I need to tell you something, but it is for your ears only.” You answer. He snorts.

“Really, is that so? You can’t tell me now?” You shrug.

“Okaaaaaay, Caelan confessed that you and him . . .”

“Jesus!” He quickly closes the distance between the two of you, getting right up next to the bars.

Nyree swoops in and grabs his face, pulling his lips to hers. He gives a garbled cry as water flows into his mouth and starts gushing out his fingertips. His eyes open in shock, Nyree’s body turns to liquid and she pours himself inside of him.

He coughs, splutters, and staggers a few steps, pushing his now soaked hair out of his face. Finally, he tilts his head back at an odd angle, his eyes suddenly glittering gold.

“His body is inferior, but serviceable.” His voice is distant, as if underneath a swimming pool.

“DUDE!” Maurie is beside herself. “That was amazing!”

Lurching from one unsteady foot to another, McCormac/Nyree fumbles with the lock on the gate, managing to spring it up after some effort.

“Let’s go!” Maurie is ready to lead the charge. “Pitts, get your boys, we’re fighting our way to the well house and getting the hell out of here.”

They pour out of the cage and quickly overwhelm the guard at the door. McCormac grabs your arm with a moist hand.

“Callte Abhaile 7, the girl will guide you.” And then he lurches forward and vomits river water into the churning canal, before slumping in an unconscious pile.

“Come Brenna – we’ve got to go!” Maurie shouts and you surge up through the keep.

###

With a splintering crash, the agents in their motley collection of rags, smash through the wood door to the keep and spill out into the courtyard. The air is thick with smoke – flames roar from the guard towers and rooftops, and everywhere you look, men are fighting. Guards and villages blur together in a sea of leather, axes and screams.

“Stay together!” Agent Pitts shouts.

“Come with me!” You shout, and lead them towards the stables. As you weave your way through the glut of fighting men, a heavy hand falls on your shoulder. Monro wrenches you around, his blade wet with blood.

“Hold up lass, I know you . . .” but he never gets to finish. A black leathery shape swoops in and latches its claws onto his shoulder. The Crith Eun snaps its toothy beak and takes a generous bite out of his head.

“Oh fuck!” You shout. Maurie helps you up and the two of you stagger through the mud to the stables.

“On the horse!” You push Maurie up onto a grey mare.

“I can’t ride!” She protests. You shake your head.

“But I can. Hold on!” With practiced ease, you throw your leg over and give the horse a kick around the ribs. Maurie wraps her arms around your waist and presses her slender frame into your back. Dimly, you see Pitts and the others trying to get their horses steady in the inferno.

But you know where you are going – you aim the horse toward the gates and urge it on. The horse, eager to put as many miles between them and the fire as possible, bolts towards the gates.

The sparks rising through the air become streaks as you shoot through the courtyard at a dead run.

CRASH! You knock an armored combatant to the ground as you careen through the melee.

BAM! You smash through the simple barricades erected near the door and in a tornado of embers and smoke, explode out onto the drawbridge and racing through the night.

You hear Maurie cackling maniacally in your ears as you glance back and see the other agents following, at a much more reasonable pace.

“What?” You say, finally realizing Maurie asked a question.

“How is it night already?” She shouts above the percussive horseshoes galloping on the stone road.

“Nightfall here is just terribly dramatic. Don’t worry about it too much.” The gleaming full light of the moon illuminates the wellhouse nestled into the woods at the end of the road.

And the three figures standing in the doorway. You pull the horse up short, she trots a few paces before coming to a halt.

Jerome is blocking the entrance to the well house, and in his lanky arms, he holds the struggling form of Isla.

“Isla!” You shout, hopping down from the horse, Maurie right behind you.

Jerome flicks out his fangs, sharp and cutting and yanks Isla’s hair back, baring her throat to him. She gives a terrified scream.

“Nobody do anything rash here.” Josephine says, standing next to Jerome, hands spread wide. “We can still all walk away from this.”

“Jerome, what the fuck! Let her go!” You shout. He shakes his head.

“No dice, Brenna. That’s not how this is going to play out.” He says firmly. You hear Agent Pitts and the others arriving behind you.

“At some point, you are walking out that door Ms. Talverton,” Maurie says. “And when that happens, you are going into custody.”

“Oh please, you can’t be serious.” Josephine says dismissively. “There aren’t even laws written for what can and can’t be done in here.”